Do you know how the coloured fabrics get attractive colours and in different shades? Mostly, the colouration of the greige fabrics is done in the dyeing process. I have explained different types of fabric dyeing processes in a separate article. In this post, I will show you various disadvantages of fabric dyeing.
 |
| Image source: lttc.com.cn |
Disadvantages of Fabric Dyeing
Among the many drawbacks of fabric dyeing, the following are important.
Variation of shade from beginning till the end along the running length of the fabrics, thus resulting in tailing. This creates a greater number of shade lots resulting in more of color groups among the garments.
Variation of shade from one selvedge to the other, resulting in increasing the consumption and wastage of fabrics per meter while conversion to garments.
Below satisfactory packaging efficiency, below 80% in most of the mills, due to the above problems, which are just two out of the innumerable ones generated in fabric dyeing.
Although the cost is apparently lower in fabric dyeing, the lower packing efficiency and the higher number of reprocessing practically shoots up the fabric cost. Also, reprocessing in most cases is based on trial and error without a surety of getting the desired results.
To overcome the drawbacks of fabric dyeing as well as to add value to the fabrics, yarn dyeing was introduced as an alternative. The advantages of yarn dyeing are:
Checks and stripes could be made easily which was difficult earlier. They added to the varieties of fabrics that could be made.
Dyeing a yarn was easier with the machines involved smaller in size and volume.
Reprocessing was easier with predictable results.
Fabric defects generated due to yarn dyeing was lesser as compared to fabric dyeing.
Although process cost is higher in a case of yarn dyeing as compared to fabric dyeing, the lower reprocessing rate and lesser fabric defects generated keep the fabric cost in control with more of varieties.
Yarn dyeing is however not a new innovation altogether; it was in fact extensively used for the purposes of surface designs, embroidery, and handcrafted textiles. The bulk operation of the same gathered momentum after fabric dyeing could not be improved beyond a certain limit in terms of efficiency.
Variation of shade from beginning till the end along the running length of the fabrics, thus resulting in tailing. This creates a greater number of shade lots resulting in more of color groups among the garments.
Variation of shade from one selvedge to the other, resulting in increasing the consumption and wastage of fabrics per meter while conversion to garments.
Below satisfactory packaging efficiency, below 80% in most of the mills, due to the above problems, which are just two out of the innumerable ones generated in fabric dyeing.
Although the cost is apparently lower in fabric dyeing, the lower packing efficiency and the higher number of reprocessing practically shoots up the fabric cost. Also, reprocessing in most cases is based on trial and error without a surety of getting the desired results.
What replaced fabric dyeing?
Checks and stripes could be made easily which was difficult earlier. They added to the varieties of fabrics that could be made.
Dyeing a yarn was easier with the machines involved smaller in size and volume.
Reprocessing was easier with predictable results.
Fabric defects generated due to yarn dyeing was lesser as compared to fabric dyeing.
Although process cost is higher in a case of yarn dyeing as compared to fabric dyeing, the lower reprocessing rate and lesser fabric defects generated keep the fabric cost in control with more of varieties.
Yarn dyeing is however not a new innovation altogether; it was in fact extensively used for the purposes of surface designs, embroidery, and handcrafted textiles. The bulk operation of the same gathered momentum after fabric dyeing could not be improved beyond a certain limit in terms of efficiency.
 | About the Author: Arnab Sen is an Assistant Professor, Textile Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bhopal, India. He is a B.Sc.Tech. in Textile Technology from the University of Calcutta and an M.Tech. in Fibre Science and Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He has served the textiles industry of India as a teacher and a professional since 2001. Follow him on LinkedIn. |